New York, NY (Top40 Charts) MasterClass, the online education company that enables anyone to learn from the best in the world, announced today that
Carlos Santana, legendary music icon and lead guitarist of his namesake band, will offer his first online class— making it the 50th MasterClass available exclusively through its platform. In his class,
Santana will teach students how he approaches guitar to create distinct, soulful sounds that move audiences. Santana's class is now available at www.masterclass.com/cs. Enrollment for the class is $90 for lifetime access, or $180 per year for the All-Access Pass, which grants unlimited access to all new and existing classes.
"To call
Carlos Santana a musical icon would be an understatement," said
David Rogier, co-founder and CEO of MasterClass. "We're so honored to launch our 50th MasterClass with one of the world's greatest guitar legends, and share his bold, distinctive sound and genre-bending melodies with our community. We hope this class inspires the next generation of spiritual musical artists."
For more than 40 years,
Carlos Santana's instantly recognizable sound — a genre-transcending blend of rock, jazz, blues, Afro-Cuban and Latin styles — has made him one of the most influential guitarists of all time. He first burst onto the scene in 1969 with his namesake band's breakthrough set at Woodstock and their first LP's top 10 hit, "
Evil Ways". The band's 1999 all-star packed album
Supernatural — bolstered by hits "
Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas, "Corazón Espinado" featuring Mana, and "
Maria Maria" featuring
Wyclef Jean and the Product G&B — alone sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, and landed eight of Santana's total ten GRAMMY® Awards and three Latin GRAMMY® Awards.
Santana is the first artist to win both a Record of the Year GRAMMY® Award and a Record of the Year Latin GRAMMY® Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, bestowed the Billboard Latin
Music Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, and won the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors Award in 2013.
"It is an honor to present my MasterClass, where I share the influences, as well as the musical and spiritual moments in my life that have shaped my playing, songs, and heart throughout my career," said Santana. "I hope my class inspires you to new musical and spiritual greatness as you crystalize your identity as a musician and a human being."
In his MasterClass,
Santana will explore the multi-faceted spirituality and philosophy of guitar to help students become more authentic and expressive artists. Students can expect to walk away with an introspective look at Santana's unique approach to the guitar, ranging from how to write and carry a melody, and incorporate various genres into his music, to advice on leading a band, and even a guide to his expressive guitar faces.
Santana will also offer insight into the creation of his iconic songs including, "Oye Como Va," "
Black Magic Woman" and "Smooth." Guitar enthusiasts at all levels will draw from his vast knowledge of musical history and genre-defying influences as he demonstrates his approach to composition, improvisation, and playing lead guitar, and in turn, deepen their own appreciation for how to listen to music and convey emotion in their own playing.
MasterClass continues to expand its catalogue into new categories, bringing leading instructors to its engaged base of subscribers. MasterClass provides educational, inspiring, and engaging classes taught by the world's greatest minds. With 50 classes that dive into processes, techniques and philosophies, MasterClass helps students progress more rapidly towards their own mastery, explore a new passion, or learn a new skill. It offers a unique learning experience, including video lessons, interactive exercises, course materials, peer interaction, and more. All classes are available as part of an annual subscription for $180, or for individual purchase at $90 for lifetime access to the class, and can be accessed online at www.masterclass.com or on the MasterClass mobile app for iOS and Android.
2019 marks the 20th anniversary of
Carlos Santana's groundbreaking album
Supernatural and the 50th anniversary of his legendary performance at Woodstock.
Santana will celebrate these historic anniversaries with an energy-infused tour highlighting hits from
Supernatural as well as many others from his long list of greatest hits. For more than 50 years,
Santana has sold more than 100 million records, performed for more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date,
Santana has won ten GRAMMY® Awards and three Latin GRAMMY® Awards. He won a record-tying nine GRAMMYs for a single project for 1999's
Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "
Smooth") as well as three Latin GRAMMY's. He has also received the Billboard Century Award (1996), was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998), received the Billboard Latin
Music Awards' Lifetime Achievement honor (2009), and was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award (2013). Among many other honors,
Carlos Santana has been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." And, with the 2014 release of Corazón,
Santana surpassed the
Rolling Stones and is one of only two music acts in Billboard history to score at least one Top Ten album for six consecutive decades since the 1960s.
In the fall of 2014,
Carlos Santana released his memoir The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light. In 2017,
Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman
Santana joined forces with The Isley Brothers (Ronald and Ernie) to release Power of Peace, an album celebrating the timeless sounds of funk, soul, blues, rock, jazz, and pop.
Santana is currently headlining a multi-year residency at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
